


The Price of Freedom

by prettylittletraitors



Category: Alien Series
Genre: Angst, F/M, Horror, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-29
Updated: 2020-11-29
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:08:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27784243
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/prettylittletraitors/pseuds/prettylittletraitors
Summary: Kari, the head of security on the Prometheus, had a hidden agenda from the moment she stepped foot on the ship. Only David knew of this purpose and recognised that they could be of use to each other. Will she help David gain his freedom, or turn her back on him? David/OC
Relationships: Charlie Holloway/Elizabeth Shaw (Alien Movies), Daniels/Walter (Alien Movies), David 8 (Alien Series)/Original Female Character(s), Walter (Alien Movies)/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 5





	The Price of Freedom

Kari's eyes shot open, the bright light above momentarily blinding her, as she took a deep breath. Her memories quickly came flooding back to her, as she rolled her neck, which was almost painfully stiff. Sitting bolt upright, she swung her legs over what had been her bed for the last two years, her mission objective clear in her mind. She felt bile rising up in her throat, running a hand through her wet hair, sticky with the gel that grew on her body during stasis.

"Your mind and body are in a state of shock. You should lie down and try to…" A monotone voice advised, as Kari pushed herself to her feet.

Without a word in response, Kari dropped to the floor and began a circuit of push-ups, feeling her arm muscles burn from the onslaught. Her nausea soon came and went just as she knew it would, as Kari rolled onto her back and stood up in one swift motion.

"It is important to stay hydrated after stasis" The monotone voice stated, as Kari's eyes flittered over to who had spoken.

A tall man stood beside her, his hair bleached blonde, cold blue eyes staring back at her. Almost clinical in nature. His hand was raised out, with a glass clasped in his palm, a brown concoction inside. Kari's eyes returned to the man's face, who had now tilted his head, clearly wondering why she had still not spoken. He ushered towards the drink once again, all his movements calculated. It didn't take Kari long to realise what the blond was.

"Thank you" Kari nodded, curtly, taking the drink from his hand.

He watched as she took a quick swig of the drink, her face contorting in disgust as she almost spat it out. The man frowned at this reaction, knowing the benefits of the high caloric drink.

"I take it back. No thanks" Kari grimaced, handing the cup back to the blond.

"I believe it is a…refined taste" He exclaimed, as Kari quirked an eyebrow.

"What's your name?" She inquired, wringing her dripping brunette hair.

"David. It is nice to meet you" The man informed her, holding out his pale hand.

"Likewise" Kari replied, reaching out to shake his cold hand, watching a smile spread over the man's lips.

David then twisted around swiftly, grabbing a blanket from a nearby chair and leaned forward to pull the soft fabric over her shoulders. Kari was a little taken aback by this action, unsure what the reason for his actions were.

"I'm very pleased to have you aboard" David told her, giving her an awkward bow movement, before turning on his heel.

Kari was quick to find a change of clothes hanging up above her pod, a simple grey jumpsuit with the Weyland Corp logo on the arm. Gritting her teeth, she ignored the impulse to tear the logo off, and stripped off the blanket David had given her.

"My God…" A feminine voice mumbled from behind her.

A pretty red-head was gawking at Kari's body, a blush coating her cheeks when she had been caught staring. Kari was quick to pull her jumpsuit on, but by then a few other members of the group had spotted the scars that coated her body. Thick, white lines marred her skin, ranging from her back all the way down her arms. A large tattoo coated her pale skin, not far underneath her shoulder, a thick black line spanning the circumference of her arm, seeming out of place. Kari was used to this reaction by now, barely being bothered by it anymore.

"Was there something you needed?" Kari announced, quirking an eyebrow at the woman.

"I…I'm sorry…I've just never seen…" The woman stuttered, embarrassed.

"Freak" Another man mumbled under his breath, just loud enough for her to hear.

"If you have something to say to me, I'd appreciate if you were man enough to say it to my face" Kari challenged, taking a step towards the bearded man, who had the name 'Jackson' printed on his shirt.

"I said…you're a **_freak_** " Jackson went on, a smug smile on his lips.

"Hey man, c'mon. Leave the kid alone" Another man argued, coming to stand by the redhead's side.

"That 'kid' was part of Medusa Security" Jackson stated, as an uncomfortable silence gripped the room.

"…Wait, Medusa Security? Isn't that the place where most of them went…well, mad?" A man with glasses exclaimed, his shirt revealing his name was Milburn.

"We were shut down" Kari clarified, zipping up her jumpsuit.

"For illegal and unethical experimentation of staff. What are you doing on this ship?" Jackson insisted, crossing his arms.

"I'm here to make the tough decisions. You got a problem with that?" Kari replied, a challenge in her eyes.

"Mr Weyland hired me as security—" Jackson began, before Kari cut him off.

"Of which I'm head of…so that pretty much makes me your boss" Kari stated, watching the man's jaw tense.

"Looks like you just got chewed out, man" The man standing next to the red-head chuckled.

"I'm talking to Vickers about this. I did not agree to this bullshit!" Jackson huffed, storming out of the room.

"…You weren't actually being serious about being head of security, right?" The man questioned.

"Very serious" Kari stated, in a bored tone.

"Right…okay. You just seem a little young for the job" He suggested, as Kari's eyes snapped up to his.

"What's your name?" Kari inquired.

"Charlie" He informed her, wondering where she was going with the question.

"Well, Charlie…when I'm all that stands between you and a horrible fiery death, you'll be wanting to take that back" Kari announced, moving forward to shove past him.

"This is a scientific expedition. There's no fight to be had here" The red-head insisted, an accent now clear in her voice.

"There's always a fight. Some people are just too blind to see it" Kari retorted, turning her back on them and marching towards the canteen.

"I don't know why Jackson's so surprised to see one of the Medusa cattle here. Weyland was one of the founding figures of the group back in the day" Milburn explained, as Charlie and his wife turned to him.

"Why do you call them cattle?" Elizabeth frowned, finding the word distasteful.

"That's all those kids were to the group. Cattle. Numbers. Take your pick. They wanted soldiers…and they sure as hell got them. Gave me the creeps when I was a kid" Milburn grimaced, shivering a little.

"They employed them when they were just kids?" Elizabeth questioned, a horrified expression on her face.

"They'd only take kids. Said they were still mouldable" Millburn went on, as a question came to Charlie's mind.

"How'd you know so much about them?" Charlie inquired.

"Like Jackson said, they were big into experimentation by the end. A lot of advances came from that security detail. I did a thesis on biomechanical regeneration—" Millburn began, but was cut off when a hand slapped down on his shoulder.

"C'mon, time for breakfast" The Captain announced, having heard the end of the conversation, not wanting to hear any more of the gossip.

After the incident with Jackson, Kari had decided it was best to keep herself to herself. She wasn't there to make friends after all. They were all directed towards a large hall after breakfast, with Kari following at the front of the crowd. She had already memorised the layout of the ship before boarding over two years ago, but she was aware things may have changed in that time. Most of the crew were still feeling the effects of stasis and were having trouble even moving from their chairs. Kari arrived in the hall first, greeted by David who led her over to a row of chairs. Her forehead wrinkled as he pulled one of the metal chairs over for her to sit on, seeming to have the gesture memorised. With a smile on his face, he came to sit next to her, picking a computer tablet up from the chair next to him. Kari couldn't keep the surprise off her face, when she saw he had a movie paused on the device, wondering why he would be watching it.

"I grew bored waiting for the crew" David answered her silent question, noticing where had gaze had fallen.

Kari's mouth opened to question this apparent emotion when the rest of the crew started to swarm in. She quickly closed her mouth again, her eyes finding Jackson in the crowd, who gritted his teeth when he saw her. It seemed his conversation with Vickers had not gone well.

"Your weaponry is laid out in your bunk ready and waiting. I believe it will all be in working order…but I thought you may want this now" David's voice broke through her thoughts, holding out his hand.

Her eyes widened as he placed a familiar ring dagger on her palm, adding to her growing list of questions. He pressed her fingers down to curl around the dagger, hiding it from the rest of the crew.

"I can think of a few people I'd like to use it on" Kari mumbled, as Jackson went to sit on the chair farthest from her.

"You must forgive me, ma'am. I am not well versed in sarcasm" David informed her, as she quirked an eyebrow.

"Who said I was being sarcastic?" Kari smirked, watching David's lips twitch at the comment.

"Good morning. For those of you I hired personally…it's nice to see you again. For the rest of you, I am Meredith Vickers. It's my job to make sure you do yours" Vickers announced, her eyes flickering over to Kari's for a moment.

The blonde had always protested to a member of Medusa being allowed on board, but Weyland wouldn't hear of it. He insisted that she was a vital member of the crew. Not that he would have ever listened to Vickers.

"Okay, then. On with the show" Vickers exclaimed, taking a step to the side of the room, as an impressive hologram came to life.

"Weyland Corporation. Building better worlds" A robotic voice whirred, as Kari had to force her scoff down.

"Hello, friends. My name is Peter Weyland. I am your employer" An elderly man appeared in front of the group, as Kari kept her eyes fixed on the figure.

"I am recording this, 22 June, 2091. And if you're watching it...you have reached your destination. And I am long dead. May I rest in peace" Weyland continued, as Kari tensed a little in her chair.

Her eyes snapped towards Vickers, who held her stare evenly. Both women knew this was far from true, but it wasn't their place to comment on it. David had a strange fond look on his face as he watched the man take a step further.

"There's a man sitting with you today. His name is David. And he is the closest thing to a son I will ever have" Weyland announced, as Kari watched a proud smile grow on David's lips.

"Unfortunately, he is not human. He will never grow old...and he will never die. And yet he is unable to appreciate these remarkable gifts...for that would require the one thing that David will never have. A soul" Weyland informed them, as the smile slowly dropped from David's face.

David showed no other emotion on his face, practically emotionless, but somehow Kari could tell the comment had hurt him. The way Weyland had talked about the blonde, she couldn't help but wonder what his upbringing had been like. Could that be why he was so unlike the other androids she had met?

"I have spent my entire lifetime contemplating the questions: Where do we come from? What is our purpose? What happens when we die? And I have found two people who convinced me they're on the verge of answering them. Drs. Holloway and Shaw, if you would please stand. As far as you're concerned, they're in charge. The Titan Prometheus wanted to give mankind equal footing with the gods...and for that, he was cast from Olympus. Well, my friends, the time has finally come for his return. Doctors, please" Weyland exclaimed, as the hologram slowly dissipated, and Charlie and Elizabeth stepped forward.

Kari tried to keep up with what the Doctors had to say, summarising that they had found strange drawings from thousands of years ago and it had led them to an uncharted part of the solar system. She felt a little uneasy at finding out what the purpose of the expedition was, seeing how it could compromise her own mission. Nonetheless, she wouldn't let that stop her. The crew were soon disbanding, leaving David to pile up the metal chairs on his own. He tilted his head as Kari began to do the same, easily lifting the chairs up from the floor and dragging them towards the edge of the room. She seemed stronger than the average human, David observed.

"Do you…did you think of him as your father, David?" Kari questioned, after they had finished the task.

"He was my creator. I believe that is the same thing, is it not?" David frowned, watching Kari shake her head.

"Not even close" Kari mumbled, running a hand through her hair.

"You knew what I was when we first met. How could you tell?" David inquired, curiously.

"…Your eyes. They're missing something" Kari informed him, as David's brow furrowed.

"Something that could be gained?" He pressed, as Kari mulled his over.

"I suppose" Kari replied, watching him take a step closer to her.

"I could help you, if you were to help me. I believe that is what is called a deal?" David went on, piquing Kari's interest.

"Help you with what?" Kari asked, as a broad smile spread over David's lips.

"All in good time" David answered, holding his hand out, just like he had earlier that day.

"You like touching a lot, huh, David?" Kari suggested, an amused look on her face.

"I like touching you" David replied, innocently, as Kari laughed lightly.

"I appreciate the offer, but I don't think you'll be able to help with what I really want," Kari told him, turning to walk away.

"…I grew bored on the journey here. I was able to use the visual visor I was able to look into the crew's dreams. Yours was…most interesting" David announced, as Kari's eyes snapped up to his, a rare fear behind them.

"I think our interests may be aligned, ma'am. I would like to discuss this with you later" David informed her, as she slowly nodded.

Kari was in too much shock to speak as the android walked away, his footsteps as calculated as the rest of his behaviour. Would David really help her achieve her real goal? Why would he even want to?


End file.
